Author's Note: 11 reviews in the first three days! Thank you! It's so exciting to see readers coming back for more! :)
Clarion shuffled to the council meeting the next morning, completely exhausted from her lack of sleep the previous night.
She had kept dreaming of running through the ice cave and hearing screams. No matter what ice tunnel she had taken, she had always ended up back at the entrance of the cave. In her final dream about it, right before sunrise, she had chased the screams to Milori's room. To her confusion, she had found Milori on his knees beside the bed screaming with her rose blossom in his hands. When she had tried to touch him, she had woken up.
Clarion sat down at the table, wanting to be anywhere but here. All of the ministers and keepers looked to her to begin. She looked down the table at an empty chair.
"Queen Clarion, should we send the hunter fairies out to see if they can track?" the Minister of Autumn, who was the first to speak, inquired.
Her eyes zeroed in on him. He might be the culprit-any of them could be. "And what would we be tracking exactly, when fairies can fly," she retorted tightly.
She scanned all of the fairies at the table, who looked taken aback by her harsh response. Her nerves were frazzled, and she had little tolerance for incompetence at this juncture. A hard, cold queen she had been but months ago, and no one had dared to entertain the notion of crossing her. Since she had grown soft, two fairies had paid the price.
Scraping back her chair firmly, she stood. Everyone else started to stand, as was customary for the queen, but she held out a finger for them to sit.
She pointed down at the table and declared in a voice of steel, "I want it announced to the fairies in all seasons that any clues are to be reported to me. Failure to do so will result in severe punishment. Two fairies have been murdered, and I have council suspecting treason is involved."
She watched their faces closely. Every single face paled at the news.
"I believe I make myself very clear," she bit off each word, "when I say the culprit will be exiled." Her eyes pierced through them. "Anyone who withholds information faces the same punishment. I reign for a thousand years, Council. I have ample time to hunt."
As she had expected, word flew through Pixie Hollow that the Queen had made law the closest thing to execution for fairies for those who were involved in the recent matter. She had put sanctuary on the table for a limited time. All knew that when the Queen made a law, it was always followed.
Gliss reported that Milori had been taken back to the North Woods after Clarion had seen him. She passed the time finding answers, questioning fairies and closely watching their reactions.
The council had been startled when she had banned it-each member gave her reason to mistrust them. And so she did.
Two nights later, she sat at her window looking up at the stars. Her heart hurt again. There was something wrong with Milori, and his keepers refused to tell her. Or they didn't know. Sled knew. Gliss said that he was still with Milori.
Clarion's letters had gone unanswered until today, Gliss always returning saying Milori was sleeping. Today she had sent a letter that could not be ignored.
Milori,
My letters continue to go unaswered. Not even a single word response. For some reason, you are not even telling Gliss what is wrong. I am left to assume that either you believe her a traitor or you are terribly close to death. If there is no response again, I will take Mountain to the North Woods and find you myself tonight. If you are in any state above dying, then this is simply beyond cruel.
She had wished with her entire heart that he was capable of responding. True to her wish, Gliss returned with a response. Clarion had read and reread it until it had burned into her mind so she could safely melt the ice tablet.
Stop. You worry for naught. I trust Gliss. I am simply exhausted, Clarion, and sleep most all day. Gliss has told me about the council being cancelled and the law instilled. Stop. I know you're afraid and feel alone. But you are not. I have spoken with and questioned my keepers. If you do not trust yours, I have faith that you can trust mine. I hope to see you soon. Be careful, Clarion, for there are things that even summer cannot melt.
He thought her being too cold. In this, he was wrong. Aside from taking a fairy's life, which she could do, she could not be too harsh. An evil lurked among them—an evil that threatened every life here. Her fairies would not be permitted to kill any living thing. If she had to freeze her heart to keep them safe, then so be it. And if Milori wanted to keep her away, damn him.
Clarion grabbed her winter things and flew to the border. She landed quickly before Gliss, who startled. "Take me to him."
"My Queen, I do not know precisely where he is. Sled always sees me coming and takes the message. Besides, it is too cold for you."
"Then take me to where you go," she commanded, pulling on her cape.
Gliss reached across the border and gently stilled Clarion's hands. "I can't," she said sadly and met Clarion's eyes. "The air alone would freeze your skin. I would take you if I could."
Her heart sank. "What's wrong with him? Why does he have to be in such cold?"
She let go of Clarion and looked down. "I don't know. Sled won't tell me. Sled was angry when I said I told you they went back to the North Woods."
"Do you trust Sled? That he isn't behind anything?"
Her eyes grew wide. "Of course."
"Are you certain?"
"Do you want me to see Lord Milori for myself?"
Clarion nodded.
Once Gliss left, Clarion slipped into winter when none of the border fairies were watching. She hadn't walked far when Mountain landed in front of her. Nearly screaming with fright, she looked up.
Milori sat on Mountain, with Gliss and Sled staying far back in the woods. Milori slid down, wearing a cape made of Mountain's feathers.
Blinking in surprise, she looked at him stupidly.
He stood before her with his arms crossed over his chest, clearly not pleased. "Why is recooperation difficult for you to understand?"
That barb hurt. Her temper flared. "You refuse to tell me what's wrong! That's the problem!" she snapped.
His eyes narrowed. "I told you-"
"You told me lies!" she hissed, slashing her hand through the air. "Why are you angry with me?"
His brow furrowed. "I'm only angry because I basically received a suicide letter from you this morning. Trapsing to the North Woods. Yes, let's test that plan, Clarion," he snorted.
Clearly anger wouldn't get anywhere with him. She blinked back tears. "I'm trying to find a traitor among us and look after twice as many fairies as I ever have. All I want to know is what's wrong with you. I love you. I would rather be out there in war than have you battling something alone. I don't understand why you won't let me in," she said softly.
He took a shakey breath, clearly struggling to keep his walls up, and uncrossed his arms. "Why don't you believe me, Clarion? I don't know what it is that you don't understand."
Closing her eyes, she rubbed her forehead, realizing she was in a losing battle. "I want to know why you're in the North Woods."
"Because the bitter cold will help with the exhaustion," he said gently.
She dropped her hand and looked up at him, softly shaking her head. A tear fell down her cheek. "Don't answer me, Milori, but don't lie," she whispered with a broken heart.
He looked away, obviously frustrated.
Giving a slow nod to herself, she slowly turned and walked away, tears bathing her cheeks. What hurt the most, though, was he let her go.
The days melted into a week with no word from Milori. And she didn't contact him when he clearly was only frustrated by her letters.
"Clarion," Mary said gently in the library as Clarion sat at a desk working on her daily duties. "Perhaps he thinks he's protecting you from something. Maybe he found something out, and keeping a distance from you is keeping you safe. The males are fickle that way."
"Or maybe he's not male enough to say he's done with me," she replied tersely and continued writing.
"Clarion, you are difficult sometimes. I'm sure he doesn't mean it like that. You said he seemed to miss you so the time before that."
She glanced up at Mary. "Men are fickle that way," she retorted.
Mary sighed. "Goodness, you are in a mood."
Shoving the quill into the inkwell she huffed, "What if it was Gary? Wouldn't you be angry?"
"I suppose. But, dear, there isn't much you can do about it. It's not as if you CAN go trapsing through the woods looking for him."
Clarion pressed the heels of her hands to her eyes and leaned her elbows on the desk. "Mary," she whispered. "This isn't going to work," she sniffled.
Mary put a fleshy arm around her. "Have a little faith, Clarion. Love always works out."
She shook her head and turned to bury her face against Mary. "Mary, something's happening. There's something terribly wrong that he won't tell me. And I have this horrible feeling that soon I'll never see him again."
"You think he's dying?"
"No. I don't know what, but I think it's much worse."
"What is worse than that?"
She looked up at her friend, tears clinging to her lashes and wings drooping, and her face crumpled. "That we're going to have to say goodbye," she wept.